Probation officers’ perspectives on recent Belgian changes in the probation service

Abstract

Throughout the last decade Belgium’s criminal justice sector — and its probation service in particular — has undergone a period of rapid change generated by public criticism, political pressure and calls for reform. This qualitative study highlights how structural changes have influenced probation practice by focusing on how probation officers themselves have perceived these recent organizational changes. These preliminary findings draw on a qualitative study of probation officers working in the House of Justice in Brussels and are compared with developments in England and Wales.